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ANTI-AUSTERITY ALLIANCE TDs have written to Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald in relation to claims gardaí have been spying on anti-water charge protesters.
Earlier today, the Irish Daily Mail claimed a team led by Detective Superintendent Jim McGowan, husband of Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan, has spent six months compiling profiles on protesters, including TD Paul Murphy, and their whereabouts.
The paper reports that the group is operating under the name Operation Mizen and says gardaí plan to extend the Dublin-based unit nationwide.
AAA TDs Murphy, Joe Higgins and Ruth Coppinger have written a letter to Fitzgerald, calling on her to make an immediate public statement on the issue.
The letter describes the content of the article as “quite shocking”.
“This is a most serious development and raises fundamental questions as to the interference of the Garda in the political life of the State.”
The correspondence also puts a number of questions to the minister, namely:
Were you aware that this Garda Unit was in operation? Were you consulted about its foundation or operation? Did you have any report made to you or to your Department by the Garda Commissioner or any authorities in the Garda on the operation of this Unit?
How many individuals are the subject of this surveillance? Are public representatives at Council or Dáil level the subject of this surveillance? If so will you name them?
Have the telephones or other communications of anti water charges campaign activists been intercepted and if so have public representatives been among those who were the subject of such interceptions? What other forms of surveillance have been used?
Response
A spokesperson for the Department of Justice confirmed Fitzgerald has received the letter and said it “will be responded to in due course”.
The operational arrangements for the Gardaí in fulfilling its functions – which include preserving peace and public order, protecting life and property, preventing crime and vindicating the human rights of each individual – are a matter for An Garda Síochána, subject to the law.
“It is open to any person who has a complaint against An Garda Síochána to pursue it with the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission.”
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Is the RCC making any contribution to this compensation fund? They were the employer and they received money both from the State and from the businesses which they carried work out for. Surely, there must be some liability there. Perhaps, a transfer of RCC school property to the State, if they are stuck for ready cash?
The RCC have not paid one single euro into the fund nor have any of the Orders of Nuns.
Is it me or does the compensation sound small. They worked for years as slave labour in these laundries.
Whether intending to or not you’ve made their claim only about money.
@Ross
I’ve seen a few of these ladies on TV and they have stated that they are looking for an official apology.
Read my comment fully. It was directed at the first comment who said that the money was too low.
Maybe that’s the your mind works so you picked it up like that. If they looked for or didn’t that doesn’t change the fact they should be fairly compensated.
Why aren’t the RCC paying the full amount?? Typical, the Irish government bend over and take it up the ar se every time from this corrupt and perverted cult!! Time to separate church and state for once and for all!!
It’s a good start, but i think they want vindication as well.
It seems small change-maybe there waiting for these people to disappear off the planet for good,to reduce that €12 million compo figure!…
The maths on that don’t add up and there is nothing wrong with my calculator.If you take 357 and even assume they were at top of scale. They got lump sum of 65,000 multiply that by 357 and you get 23,205,000 that’s not 12.8 million
Also when she states CERTAIN MEDICAL SCHEMES I would like to know exactly what schemes she is referring to.
have your say